TOBACCO

Tobacco Class-Action Suits Filed in 3 States: Anti-tobacco lawyers filed class-action liability lawsuits on behalf of smokers in three more states, making a total of nine such suits to be filed against the $50-billion-in-sales industry. John Coale, the main attorney coordinating the filings, said lawsuits representing smokers in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Alabama were filed. Similar lawsuits in Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Georgia and Massachusetts are expected to follow within the next few weeks, he said. Philip Morris Cos., the nation’s largest cigarette maker, said the Pennsylvania class-action lawsuit is a misuse of the courts.